Typology of person-environment fit constellations: a platform addressing accessibility problems in the built environment for people with functional limitations

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Björn Slaug¹  Susanne Iwarsson¹  Gunilla Carlsson¹  Oliver Schilling² 

[1] Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Box 157 SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden;Department of Psychological Ageing Research, Institute of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;

关键词: Functional Limitation;    Environmental Context;    Environmental Barrier;    Accessibility Problem;    Housing Environment;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-2185-4

 received in 2014-02-24, accepted in 2015-08-25,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMaking the built environment accessible for all regardless of functional capacity is an important goal for public health efforts. Considerable impediments to achieving this goal suggest the need for valid measurements of acccessibility and for greater attention to the complexity of person-environment fit issues. To address these needs, this study aimed to provide a methodological platform, useful for further research and instrument development within accessibility research. This was accomplished by the construction of a typology of problematic person-environment fit constellations, utilizing an existing methodology developed to assess and analyze accessibility problems in the built environment.MethodsBy means of qualitative review and statistical methods we classified the person-environment fit components covered by an existing application which targets housing accessibility: the Housing Enabler (HE) instrument. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as a conceptual framework. Qualitative classification principles were based on conceptual similarities and for quantitative analysis of similarities, Principal Component Analysis was carried out.ResultsWe present a typology of problematic person-environment fit constellations classified along three dimensions: 1) accessibility problem range and severity 2) aspects of functioning 3) environmental context. As a result of the classification of the HE components, 48 typical person-environment fit constellations were recognised.ConclusionsThe main contribution of this study is the proposed typology of person-environment fit constellations. The typology provides a methodological platform for the identification and quantification of problematic person-environment fit constellations. Its link to the globally accepted ICF classification system facilitates communication within the scientific and health care practice communities. The typology also highlights how relations between aspects of functioning and physical environmental barriers generate typical accessibility problems, and thereby furnishes a reference point for research oriented to how the built environment may be designed to be supportive for activity, participation and health.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Slaug et al. 2015